Inner Light
by Stayce
Summary: When two immortals come to Sunnydale Buffy and the rest of the Scooby Gang find themselves caught up in a centuries old struggle where the final objective is not death, but life. The first in the King Trilogy.
1. Evil is Afoot

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

INNER LIGHT

Authors Note: First of all, this is not a new story. Its been posted here for a few months an was written with an early (pre Riley) season four timeframe in mind. It's been reformatted to make it easier to read. Secondly, please R&R, it helps my motivation ;-)  

Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy, or any other characters from the show. They all belong to Joss and co. Any other characters are products of my own limited imagination and I hope you enjoy them. 

"I shall die, and what I now 

feel be no longer felt."   

Frankenstein

Prologue

Evil Is Afoot

The stars glittered in the sky above King, almost seeming to speak to him as he stood on the rooftop staring up at them. He loved the night if such a term could be applied to a creature without a soul. Of course being a creature of the night certainly helped one appreciate it more, its moods and its methods. To be at one with the night you truly had to be a part of it. And, being a vampire he was more in tune with it than almost any other creature on the face of the Earth. 

Slowly he let his gaze fall down on the sleepy town before him. So this was the Hellmouth, better known as Sunnydale. He'd avoided it for the past four years if only because of one simple little factor. The Slayer. He didn't really dislike the Slayers like so many others of his kind. The slaying of vampires was their birthright and he did agree that many of his kind were little more than vermin who deserved nothing more to than to be stamped out. 

It had been different once; vampires had been powerful and feared by men. Now they cast about little more than bogeymen to overactive imaginations, being forced to skulk in shadows and feed off the dregs of human society. No, he did not hate the Slayers. They were merely doing their job. The trouble was that this one was so horrendously good at it. Barely a week went by that he didn't hear some new tale of the Slayer's latest exploits and little misadventures. It was precisely these stories more than any other reason that had kept him away. King had a great sense of self-preservation. He liked his existence and did not want it to be taken away from him. Ironically it was that same sense of self-preservation that had brought him here now. 

As he stood in the light of the moon he felt his hand shake slightly. Closing his eyes he concentrated hard until it stopped. He let out a long relaxing breath and stared back down at the town beneath him. The Slayer he could cope with so long as she didn't get in his way. He turned on his heel and strode off over the rooftop, his long dark ponytail flowing in the night breeze behind him. If she did he would have no choice but to destroy her. He never noticed the silhouetted figure watching him from the next building.

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	2. Warning Signs

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

INNER LIGHT

Part One

Warning Signs

Buffy hated mornings. At night she could slay the odd vampire or two, do battle with strange mystical forces every other week or so and even prevent the apocalypse on a fairly annual basis. Why was it then that she simply could not face the mornings? Despite all her Slayer skill and strength the ability to get out of bed on time just eluded her. Willow on the other hand was up bright and perky as was the norm. 

"Rise and shine sleepy head." Said her red haired roommate grinning as she pulled the covers up over her head.

"Go away." she muttered snuggling down deeper into her pillows and trying to get back to sleep. It took her a full three seconds to get the feeling Willow was still watching her. Slowly she pulled the covers down to see her best friend staring back at her expectantly.

"Can't you let me sleep in peace?" she demanded sitting upright in the bed as she did so.

"Not when you've got a lecture to attend in half an hour." Willow said with a grin. "Or did you forget that you asked me to get you up this early?" 

"I guess I forgot little miss "I can't sleep in bed another five minutes"." she said swinging herself out of bed and tramping through to tiny room that passed for a bathroom. The water from the taps seemed colder this morning and served to wake her up faster than a brisk walk through a cemetery filled with vampires. She lifted her head and stared at herself in the mirror. She was one hell of a mess. Could she make herself presentable to the world in just half an hour? She smiled. She'd had greater challenges in life but not by much. She let out a long yawn as she reached down for her toothbrush and began to brush her teeth. After several minutes vigorous scrubbing she decided her teeth were as clean as they were going to get and leaned forward spitting the toothpaste out into the sink, then running water into it to wash it away. At the same time she reached over to place her toothbrush back in the glass that rested on the top left corner of the enamel basin. 

Suddenly a strange dizziness overcame her and as she struggled to grip the sink for support the reflection in the mirror changed. A pale well muscled man with short black hair and soft grey eyes appeared standing just behind her. A look of weariness seemed to emanate from as if it was part of his being.  

"Buffy…" his voice was soft as falling leaves and as chilling as the grave. His lips barely moved as he spoke her name. So subtle was the movement that at first she wasn't even sure if he had spoken at all. Then he spoke again and this time she was certain it was him.

"I need you…" The sound of glass shattering sounded in her ears and the figure disappeared.

***** 

She awoke with a start to find herself lying in bed, her sheets drenched with sweat from and breathing heavily from the disturbing experience. Gingerly she sat up and opened the blinds that covered the nearby window. Outside, the first rays of dawn were only just beginning to chase away the blackness of night. Slowly she turned and let her head sink down into her hands.

"Just a dream Buffy." She whispered, trying to comfort her frayed nerves.

"It was just a dream." She didn't sleep well for the rest of the night.

***** 

"Oh yeah." Said Willow as they stepped out of the room and began to walk off through the dorms to their morning lectures. "Giles rang while you were asleep this morning and asked me to tell you to stop by his house after your lecture today." Buffy was puzzled. It wasn't like Giles to ask her to stop by unless the fate of the world depended on it.

"Any idea why?" she said as they reached the stairs. 

"Nope." Answered Willow.

"Well did it sound urgent." 

"Define urgent."

"You know what I mean," said Buffy. "Was it Rain of fire, vampire plague sort of urgent, or just my books are out of order and I need you to help me sort them, kind of urgent?"

"I'd say it was in between rain of fire and help me sort my books." Said Willow with a grin.

"Mmmm, a halfway house," laughed Buffy. "I didn't know such a thing existed when it came to Giles." 

Outside it was a typical day in Sunnydale. The Sun shining brightly down on throngs of young people making their way around the college campus as the birds sang the usual array of chirpy little melodies in the trees around them. If only they knew what lurked in the darkest corners of their pleasant town, Buffy was sure none of them would seem quite so satisfied with their lives. As her eyes travelled over the throngs of students she couldn't help but feel a little lonely. All these people depending on her to hold back the tide of evil that was constantly waiting on their doorstep and they didn't even know it. She let out a long sigh and continued to scan the crowd as she moved through it. 

He was there! Buffy nearly fell over from shock at the sight of the figure watching her from the trees. The shadows they cast fell across his face making his features seem a little indistinct but that didn't stop her being able to make out his hardened features, tall muscular frame and piercing grey eyes that seemed to hold her in their gaze for far longer than they really did. He was definitely the same man she had seen in her dream. Who was he? What did he want with her? All questions that she hoped he would be able to answer. She was about to make her way over to where he stood when she heard Willow speak.

"What are you looking at?" Distractedly Buffy turned to her.

"What did you just say?" she asked.

"I said what are you looking at?" 

"Oh," said Buffy turning to look back at the spot where the man had been stood moments earlier. She wasn't sure why she was surprised that he'd disappeared again. "Nothing." She said continuing on her way towards the main college building. "Nothing at all."

*****

Giles' house was not at all what Buffy had expected when she had first seen it. She had imagined him to live in some crumbling old mansion on the outskirts of town. The kind of place kids steered clear of because they swore it was haunted while old cracked stone gargoyles warded off all who came near the terrifying place. The truth had come as something of an anti climax when she had first come here. A rather plain little flat built in the suburbs of Sunnydale, far away from the school where he had worked, not to mention any centres of mystical convergence. 

Adjusting her bag strap so it rested more comfortably on her shoulder she stepped up to the front door and rapped loudly on it. Even after this amount of time she was still a little depressed by the lack of a big doorknocker she could use to bang on it ominously. The door was opened and the familiar, slightly creased and bespectacled face of Giles appeared.

"Buffy!" he said sounding vaguely surprised. "What are you doing here?" he finished.

"You asked me to come." She said feeling a little confused. 

"Well of course," He paused. "I just didn't expect you to arrive so soon. Please come in." He opened the door wider allowing her to enter. As usual inside Giles' house most of the curtains were drawn allowing very little light to enter. Clouds of dust swirled visibly in what little light there was, disturbed by her movements and the whole place was musty, smelling faintly of old manuscript and papyrus that Giles seemed to spend every waking hour studying. 

"Have a seat." He said waving at his dusty old sofa. Buffy sat down, sending up a fresh cloud of dust that caused her to sneeze loudly. 

"Bless you." Said Giles automatically.

"Don't you ever clean in here?" she asked him, eyeing the floating dust suspiciously. 

"Not really, no." he said with his back to her as he rummaged through a pile of books stacked in an untidy pile on a nearby table. 

"Anyway, your cleaning aside, what did you want to see me for?" she asked. 

"I beg your pardon," he said turning to face her then suddenly realising what she had said. "Oh yes, well I just wanted to ask you if you'd seen anything strange recently, either out on patrol or even during the day, anything unusual at all." Why did Giles suddenly want to know if anything strange was going on? She thought that they had gotten past the stage of him holding information back from her.

"Why do you want to know?" she asked.

"Are you saying you have seen something strange?" said Giles, raising his eyebrows behind his glasses.

"Maybe but I want to know what you know first Giles." 

"Well if you'll just bare with me one moment." The ex watcher turned and went back to hunting through the books. Suddenly he slapped his hand down hard on an open tome.

"Ah hah!" He exclaimed, picking up the book as he did so. "Here we have it." He passed the book to her and watched as she stared down at its tattered old pages. A strange flowing script was spread across the cracked paper along with odd sketches of what appeared to be a series of dots with lines interconnecting them.

"What's all this about?" she asked. She hated it when Giles went cryptic on her, which unfortunately was most of the time. 

"Well recently I've been looking into various forms of astrology, more of a passing interest than any serious research really." Buffy arched her eyebrows at him.

"And this has something to do with my seeing anything odd how?" she asked.

"Those symbols," he said pointing at the strange interconnected dots on the page. "Do you know what they mean?" Buffy glanced at them. They were as meaningless to her as just about every other strange symbol she had ever seen.

"Haven't the foggiest." She said. 

"They are star alignments Buffy, very rare star alignments. This one in particular," he pointed at one in the lower corner of the page. "Has not been seen in over two thousand years."

"So what's the big deal." Giles looked at her as if he was talking to a small child.

"They are all going to occur within the next three nights." His voice was deadly serious.

"And that's not good. Am I right?" she said.

"No it isn't." he said then pointed at the writing on the page. "I translated the script."

"What does it say?" said Buffy becoming more concerned about the whole business with each passing second. Star alignments tended to speak of prophecies and mystical goings on that she could really do without at the moment.

"I'm not entirely certain how accurate the translation is or even what it means. It's all a tad long winded and unusually phrased but basically what it says is that when these three star alignments occur back to back then light will come and evil will walk abroad."

"That's a bit vague isn't it?" said Buffy her brow knotted. "I mean this is the Hellmouth. Evil walks abroad every night. Usually in gangs." Giles nodded in agreement.

"Yes, but a vampire going out to hunt for the night, while it is evil, is hardly the kind of Doomsday forecast one would expect to find in these books. I think we can safely say that something at least slightly out of the ordinary is about to occur and due to our fairly unique position here on the Hellmouth we had best be prepared."

"How?" said Buffy. Another apocalyptic prophecy it seemed. Whoever wrote these books was one hell of a cynic.

"I haven't the faintest idea. But until we know what we're dealing with I would suggest the utmost caution when patrolling at night. We don't know who or what might be out there, which is why I asked if anything you'd seen anything out of the ordinary." Buffy took a deep breath. She hadn't intended to tell anyone about the man she had seen in her dream or later by the trees as up until now she hadn't been sure whether or not the latter of the two was in her head. This being Sunnydale though she should have known better. The strangest things you could imagine happened here on a regular basis. When you got down to the nitty gritty of it, it was really quite disturbing.

"I did see something," she said looking intently at the floor beneath her feet, "a man." 

"Really," said Giles sounding suddenly very interested. "Where?"

"In my bathroom…"

"In your bathroom!" Giles interrupted. "What was he doing in your bathroom?!" 

"It was only a dream Giles, and then I saw him out on the college campus. That wasn't a dream though."

"Are you sure it was the same man?" asked Giles. He looked concerned. She didn't blame him. She had a tendency to dream things that came true. It was little bit annoying to say the least.

"Yeah." She lifted her head to look him in the eyes. "Giles, he knew my name."

"He spoke to you!" Buffy nodded.

"Only in the dream though."

"What did he say?" Giles was positively on edge now.

"Just my name and that he needed me." 

"And you have absolutely no idea who this man is?" Buffy shook her head vigorously.

"I've never seen him before in my life." Giles stood up and began to pace agitatedly.

"It would seem we have something of a mystery on our hands as to the identity of this strange individual." He said.

"If you mean we don't know who he is then I'm with you on that." Said Buffy. Giles cast her the disapproving glance he had mastered so well over time.

"Yes, well, he's obviously not a vampire due to the fact you have seen him in daylight. I believe I have some research to be doing."

"There's not much to go on," said Buffy, "and we don't even no if he's out of the ordinary."

"True," said Giles as he went back to looking through his books, "but you do seem to attract the unusual, so the chances of him being a perfectly normal human being are shall we say a trifle slim." Buffy stood up and began to walk out.

"Where are you going?" asked Giles. 

"Tonight's patrol night," she said "and I don't really want to hang around looking through dusty old books for a reference to some weird guy I've only seen twice." Giles gave her a knowing look.

"I take it this means you're going to go and look for him tonight." Buffy grinned.

"You got it one." She said. 


	3. Patrol Night

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

INNER LIGHT

** **

Part Two

Patrol Night

Patrolling had never really been Buffy's idea of fun. Hanging around the dinghy back alleys of Sunnydale or the creepy cemetery regularly frequented by the vampires was seriously lacking in the excitement factor, especially on a night like tonight. The earlier sunshine had disappeared around about lunchtime to be replaced by a miserable layer of drizzle that had continued through the rest of the day and was still around now. 

She muttered to herself as yet another car splashed through a puddle drenching her with more water. If she hung about here much longer then she was liable to end up with pneumonia. Worst of all she had seen neither hide nor hair of the strange man she was out here looking for in the first place. She gave a soft moan as a clap of thunder nearby indicated the arrival of even heavier rainfall. She was about to turn and head home when she caught a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye. Turning to see where it had come from she found herself looking down an alleyway between a clothes store and a now closed café. 

"Perfect," she muttered under breath. It was indeed perfect, a perfect spot for vampires anyway. Slowly she stepped forward into the waiting shadows drawing a trusty wooden stake from inside her leather jacket as she did so. There may not be any vampires down this alley but it always felt safer to have a weapon at hand nevertheless. She continued to advance forward, edging gradually deeper and deeper into the alleyway. The mangy stray cat jumping down from the top of the bins out the back of the café scared the life out of her. 

"Easy Buffy," she muttered to herself smiling with relief as she did so. "It's just a cat." Satisfied that she had identified the source of the noise she turned to go. It would seem she hadn't. Three men stood in the entrance to the alley each one looking at her in the same way a lion looks at group of gazelles. 

"She's a pretty one." Said the one on the left. His accent was strange and sounded vaguely European but years spent abroad seemed to have blurred its origins beyond absolute certainty. 

"Yes, very fresh." Said the one standing on the right in the same hazy accent, "She should taste good." The middle figure glanced at his two companions.

"If you two are just going to stand there then I'll have her all to myself." He said. 

"We were just viewing the possible taste of the meal." Said the one on the right as the three of them began to advance forward. Buffy had faced a lot of vampires and would normally be unfazed by them, but there were two things here that changed that. First most vampires were scared of her and would try to run if she confronted them which gave her something of a mental edge in combat. An edge she wouldn't have here. Second even though she was the Slayer, three against one weren't particularly good odds. Still she was the Slayer and the least she could do was put up a fight. She put on her most confident smile despite the fact she didn't feel that way and took a step toward them.

"You guys aren't from around here are you?" she said. The question was rhetorical but it still received an answer.

"No, why?" She laughed a little too heartily.

"Because you don't know me." They were almost within reach now.

"Should we?" said the middle vampire grinning at his friends and showing his wickedly sharp canines. 

"No not really, so allow me to introduce myself. I'm Buffy," her smile widened, "The Vampire Slayer." She didn't wait a moment longer. To do so would give them time to go on the defensive. Diving forward into a cartwheel she landed on her feet in a crouch and swung her left leg out in an effort to leg sweep the three of them. She only caught the one on the left. The other two somersaulted backward out of range. She hastily clambered to her feet and brought her stake down on the one she tripped up. The vampire caught her arm in its downward arc and gave her a toothy grin

"So you're the Slayer. I must say you're reputation precedes you." He snarled "Let's see whether or not it is justified." He braced his feet against her stomach and rolled backwards sending her sailing through the air to slam heavily against a brick wall and sink to the floor. Shaking her head to dispel the image of vampire bats flapping about her vision she braced herself against the wall and slid up to her feet. These guys were good, very fast and incredibly strong. It had been a while since she had faced a vampire with this level of skill and she'd never faced three at once. Things were looking pretty grim, especially when the vampire she had just tried to stake barrelled into her, knocking her to the concrete as he did so. She could feel his rancid breath on her face as he held her struggling body down to the ground. 

"I'd expected more from a Slayer. Especially one with your reputation" He snarled and even without looking Buffy could tell his face had morphed to the demonic visage that usually accompanied a vampire's feeding. She wasn't sure whether or not to be happy when the she caught sight of the man standing behind her attacker. The man she recognised all too well as the one from her dream. He leaned down and grabbed the vampire by the scruff of the neck, heaving him into the air, pivoting on his leg and hurling him down the alley in one smooth seemingly effortless movement that even Buffy with her enhanced Slayer strength would have found difficult to do. Slowly she got to her feet for what felt like the hundredth time during the fight and watched as the strange man backhanded one of the other two vampires who had tried to sneak up behind him. As the creature hit the ground Buffy took her opportunity and shoved her stake hard through its chest. 

Looking up from her grisly task she watched somewhat enviously as her strange benefactor slammed his fist into the third vamps chest. As the monster doubled over he stepped round behind hit, gripping the back of its skull with his hand, and shoved down hard. She couldn't help but wince at the terrible crunch made by the vampires skull slamming heavily into the concrete. 

"You're stake!" he yelled. Buffy didn't waist a moment, tossing the wooden weapon through the air. He effortlessly caught it plunging it down into the back of the vampire's chest. Slowly he straightened with a satisfied smile as the creature of the night turned to dust before him. Suddenly she saw the original vampire leap toward his back.

"Look out!" she yelled her warning too late and the monstrous beast landed squarely against his broad back, wrapping its legs around his waist to gain more purchase. With a roar of triumph the vampire bore its fangs to the sky before plunging them deep into his neck. The man's face didn't even wince at what must have been excruciating pain. Instead he simply turned to his attacker and smiled a smile that would have put fear into the heart of even the darkest night creature.

"You're luck's just run out child." He spat in derision of the monster feeding off him. "You've just bitten the Scourge." The vampires' reaction was instant. It leaped off him as if stung by a wasp.

"You," it hissed and Buffy couldn't believe how fearful it suddenly seemed. "You're the Sco…" before it could finish its sentence the vampire gagged, tumbling backwards into a pile of dustbins clawing at its throat in agony as it went. The Scourge stepped across the alley way to its thrashing form, gripping its wrists tightly and to secure it. 

"Get over here!" he shouted to her. Buffy didn't even hesitate. She bounded across the alley to his side.

"Who are you?" she asked as she approached him.

"No time for that now," he said struggling to keep the vampire in his grasp. "This one is almost dead and when he dies then what I want to show you will turn to dust with it. Roll up his right sleeve and look at his forearm." He ordered. 

"Why?" asked Buffy.

"Just do it!" he yelled. "You don't have time to argue." Buffy leaned forward and gingerly rolled up the vampires' sleeve. On its right forearm was a strange tattoo of a sword with a pitch-black blade.

"What is it?" she said as the Scourge released the dying vampire and watched as it turned to dust before them.

"The symbol of the Vampire these ones served." He said. Buffy was beginning to get some idea of what he wanted now. It seemed fairly similar to what Angel's interest in her had been at first.

"Let me guess." She said with a smile. "You want me to help you kill this vampire." She was surprised when he shook his head.

"No, I'm telling you this so that if you see a vampire with this symbol next to his right eye you don't attack him."

"What!" she yelled no longer able to restrain herself. "Reality check okay, I'm a vampire slayer. It's my job to slay vampires!" He stood up and Buffy had to crane her neck to look him in the eye. He sure was tall.

"Not this vampire. Listen to me Buffy," he pleaded "I need you. If you fight him, believe me, you will lose. I can't afford to lose you, not after I've waited this long." Buffy couldn't believe it. He had just spoken the exact words from her dream. God she hated it when that happened.

"Wait!" she shouted after him when she realised he was leaving, "Where are you going? Who are you? How do you know who I am? What do you need me for?" He paused at the mouth of the alleyway, presumably stunned by her barrage of questions.

"The club called the Bronze." He said, "Meet me there tomorrow night and I will answer all your questions as best I can." And with that he was gone.

*****

King watched the scene below him unfold with interest. It was a shame to lose Nathaniel, he had been a good follower, but he and the others had been fools to believe they could stand a chance against the Slayer even if she had had help from that cursed Scourge. He scratched at his own black bladed sword tattoo next to his right eye as that foul thing showed the Slayer Nathaniel's mark. So long he had borne it and it still looked fresh on his skin. The decades had barely faded it. He listened carefully as the Scourge warned the Slayer about him. He might think it a wise move if he knew what the Scourge was doing here in the first place. He hated that pestilent creature, hated it for what it had done to him. The involuntary spasm in his hand started again and once again he had to fight to keep it under control. Each time it took him longer to regain that control over his rogue limb. He was running out of time and he knew it. However there was still plenty to be had. The slow spread of the poison would not kill him for a decade or two yet, but it would kill him. Of that there was absolutely no doubt. Still it would probably be cured in another two days, and then he could put this whole unpleasant business behind him. Maybe the Scourge wasn't even here for the same reason as he, maybe he needed the Slayer for a different purpose. Doubtful though. He glanced up at the few stars that shone through the storm clouds above him. The first alignment was complete. Two more nights and the light would come. He just hoped the Slayer didn't make things more complicated than they had to be. If so she would regret it.

** **


	4. Alliances

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

INNER LIGHT

Part Three 

Alliances

The rain continued to bucket down out of the sky in huge torrents drenching Buffy as she ran through it to Giles' house. It was late but she figured that if she waited till daylight to update him with the latest information that he would most likely be annoyed with her. Skidding round the corner on the same soggy paving stones that made up his garden path she jogged up it to his front door and brought her balled up fist banging hard down on it. After several minutes she heard the sound of annoyed muttering coming from behind the door and the sound of bolts being slid back and keys jangled as he unlocked it. Giles, it would seem, was quite security conscious. After what seemed like an eternity of waiting the door swung inward to reveal him standing just inside wearing a striped dressing gown and a pair of slippers that seemed a little too large for his feet. Not wearing his glasses the ex watcher was forced to squint out into the night at her before he could determine who it was.

"Buffy!" he said sounding surprised for the second time that day. "What are you doing here at this time of night." Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Pop quiz Giles," she said in irritation. "Keeping someone on your doorstep in the freezing cold rain is impolite. True Or False?" 

"Oh, of course." Said Giles ignoring her sarcastic comment. "Come inside." He stepped out of the way allowing her entrance. After taking off her shoes Giles ushered her into the living room, reappearing minutes later with a towel and a cup of steaming hot coffee. Buffy gratefully accepted the coffee then wrapped herself up in the warmth of the towel.

"Now," said Giles seating himself in the chair opposite her. "Why are you here? I thought you were going out on patrol and seeing if you could find that strange man you dreamt about." 

"Well I found him." She paused. "Sort of." Giles' brow furrowed.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I'm not quite clear whether it was me who found him or him who found me." Giles still looked confused. Buffy felt a tinge of delight. Usually it was she who had flounder her way through the conversation while Giles explained everything to her. It felt good to have things the other way around.

"I'm still not with you Buffy." He said. She sighed. It would seem she was going to have to explain the whole thing to him.

"Right," she started. "I'm walking down this alleyway looking for vampires when three foreign ones turn up and proceed to beat me to a pulp." Giles looked concerned.

"You're not injured I hope." He said. 

"No, but thanks for asking. Anyway like I was saying these three European sounding vampires are delivering a serious butt kicking to yours truly when all of a sudden weird dream guy shows up and throws one vampire across the alleyway one handed." She looked Giles dead in the eye. "Giles, I couldn't throw a vampire like that so how could he?" the thoughtful expression Buffy knew so well had fallen across Giles' face the one he used when considering which monster it could be this time.

"An intriguing development, but please do continue." Buffy took a sip of her scalding hot coffee and continued.

"After he's thrown vamp number one across the alley he then helps me stake vamps two and three in virtually no time at all. But this is all going to seem like peanuts compared to what happened next." Giles leaned forward his attention focused entirely on her.

"Vamp number one gets up and decides to make a meal out of my new friend. Jumps on his back and bites him."

"Is he alright?" asked Giles

"Who, dream guy?" Giles nodded. "He's fine but I wouldn't say the same for the vampire." 

"What happened to him?" Giles continued his questioning.

"He collapsed into a pile of trash cans clutching at his throat and thrashing about. Whatever was happening to him, it was painful. Anyway dream guy calls me over and shows me a tattoo on the vampires arm."

"What did this tattoo look like?" The questions from Giles were unending it seemed.

"It was a sword with a black blade. Dream guy told me that if I saw a vampire with it next to his right eye I should avoid him." 

"This "Dream Guy"", said Giles, "I don't suppose you found out his name?"

"The vampire called him the Reaver." Said Buffy. The flash of lightning followed shortly by a clap of thunder could not have been timed better for atmospheric effect. Giles leaned back in his chair.

"I thought so." He said. 

"So come on Giles," It was her turn to lean forward in curiosity now. "Who is he?"

"From what little I know of him, he's something of an enigma." Buffy raised her eyebrows.

"A what?" she said.

"An enigma," said Giles standing up and beginning to pace, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. Buffy smiled. It had been a long time since she'd seen Giles get like this. "You know, one of a kind, out of place. Very similar to yourself as a matter of fact." 

"Only I can't throw a vampire across an alleyway with one hand." She said.

"I must admit I'm a little surprised at that." Said Giles. "In what little there is on him nothing about that level of strength is mentioned."

"You know Giles," said Buffy, giving him her overly innocent smile. "It's midnight. I'm tired, I'm wet and I've got a lecture first thing. I'd really appreciate it if you could just answer me straight on this one and tell me who he is."

"That's what I'm trying to tell you Buffy," said Giles. "There's so little on him that I'm not really sure who, or even what he is." 

"Okay, why don't we start with what there is on him." Said Buffy, before hurriedly adding "and can we make it quick." 

"I'll do my best." Said Giles. 

"Thanks," grinned Buffy, "I know how much you like to make speeches." 

"Yes, quite." Said Giles in his familiar stern schoolteacher tones. "The Reaver as he calls himself is a vampire hunter who masquerades as human so that vampires will feed from him. When they do they die as the blood in his veins is poison to them." 

"That's it!" said Buffy, faintly surprised that she hadn't just received a three thousand-word thesis on him.

"Without consulting the books that's all I can remember off hand."

"What about the vampire he mentioned." She asked.

"I can do some reading but finding a direct reference may take a little while." Said Giles. Buffy nodded.

"You might not need to read much more on the Reaver anyway." 

"Why's that?" asked Giles distractedly. He was already looking along a line of ancient tomes that were stacked on a bookcase nearby.

"Because I'm meeting him tomorrow night." Giles turned and stared at her.

"You're what?" he said in disbelief. 

"I'm meeting him tomorrow night."

"Where?" he demanded.

"At the Bronze." Giles nodded.

"A very wise choice," he said, "He's unlikely to try anything in a public area."

"Giles," Buffy smiled. Sometimes Giles could be a little over protective despite the fact that he was no longer her Watcher. "Meeting at the Bronze was his idea."

"Oh." Was all he said seeming suitably abashed. Buffy drunk the last of her coffee stood up and handed him the towel.

"I'd best be off, hard days work tomorrow." She said and walked out of the house back into the pouring rain.

*****

Zero hated living like this. That was putting it mildly of course. He crouched in the burned husk of the building watching as two of his gang went to work on one another. Gregory was a strong fighter but Zero's money was on Carlos. The younger vampire was just too fast for his elder and had fed more recently. Fights between gang members were common these days and while they did provide some source of entertainment they were far too damaging in the long run. If they kept up the battles at this rate there would be nothing left of Zero's once proud band of vampires. He'd come to Sunnydale twenty years ago after hearing stories from others about the rich feeding grounds the place provided. Then he'd been young and relatively inexperienced in the ways of the vampires. He hadn't known about the Master or how just about every vampire who came to Sunnydale was forced into virtual slavery under the ancient one. Of course many such as that beast Luke, had worshipped him like a God but just as many, Zero included, had wanted freedom. Those that wanted to remain free of the Masters rule had banded together in small gangs for protection. Zero's had been one of the most well known and for sixteen years he'd survived here. The arrival of the Slayer hadn't meant much to him at first. Oh he had heard tales of past Slayers and rumours that one was on the prowl in LA but he hadn't really believed any of them. Then she had come here. When she killed the Master he'd been happy at first. No more lurking in shadows and skulking in dank crypts. At last they would be able to stalk the night as true vampires without having to worry about the Master. That had been the idea anyway. Unfortunately the Slayer had other plans. Zero's band was soon driven back into the shadows out of fear for there lives and there they had stayed, fearing to tread openly in case of a chance encounter with the pointy end of a stake. The emaciated form of Gregory was hurled across the open roofed room to slam heavily against the wall. Carlos lifted his head to the stars and roared with triumph. The others soon joined him. Zero shrugged his shoulders and lifted his head to the sky, letting out a supportive whoop and gathering with the others to kick and torture the loser. The gang needed to be strong in order to survive. Any who showed weakness were cast out into the night to fend for themselves. That was what would happen to Gregory, when they'd had their fun with him that is. Slowly the hollered taunts and joyous praises quietened as the gang began to settle down. It was then that they heard the clapping. A lone figure was stood nearby applauding their efforts. Gradually each member of the gang turned their true yellow coloured eyes to face their audience. The man was stood near the wooden fence that marked the boundary of the abandoned building site. He was about six and a half feet tall and was fairly solidly built. He wore a battered black leather bomber jacket over a dark blue vest with baggy leather trousers encasing his legs and large heavy soled boots that caused the gravel to crunch loudly as he moved. A long black ponytail hung down to his waist and the sword tattoo so close to his right eye was enough to make even a vampire wince at risk it must have taken to apply it. Zero could tell from the figures posture alone that he wasn't human. While he did not bear his true demonic face as openly as they it was obvious he was a vampire. When all eyes were upon him including those of the groaning Gregory he stopped clapping and took a step forward.

"Are you quite finished?" he asked. Zero eyed him up and down. He'd fought worse in his gang. He took his own step toward the vampire.

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded, making sure that he bore his teeth. The strange vampire gave him an icy smile before stepping past him into the remains of the building. 

"Someone who disapproves of this." He said waving his pale hand in an arc that encompassed the building. He spun suddenly to face Zero and the gang leader was taken aback by how quickly he moved.

"Why do you live like this?" he snarled contemptuously, "Like mice frightened of a cat! Maybe it's because that is precisely what you are!"

"You must be new around here," said Zero summoning himself up to his full height, He didn't like the aggressiveness of this vampire. "It's not like we have a choice. You see we have Slayer trouble in this town." The stranger laughed.

"Don't be pathetic." He said. "You have nothing to fear from a Slayer." 

"If you're saying we should kill her, it can't be done." Said Zero watching as the stranger ran his fingers along the edge of the buildings concrete wall. He dusted his hands off casting lofty glances at the others as he did so. "Stronger vampires than us have tried and failed." The stranger looked back to him and gave him a feral grin.

"Stronger than you." He said. Suddenly he span to face the concrete wall and in the same smooth flowing motion, punched his balled up fist straight through it in an explosion of dust and crumbling stone. "Not than me." He finished. Zero took a step away. This stranger was more dangerous than he had first thought.

"Who are you!" he hissed, all trace of his strength seeming to have melted away. The stranger whirled around and grabbed him tightly by the throat. 

"You don't need to worry about that!" he snarled, grabbing Zero by his belt with his free hand and hoisting him into the air like a rag doll to throw him out onto one of the wooden fence posts where he exploded into a cloud of dust.

*****

_ _

King watched with something approaching pleasure as the pathetic excuse for a vampire exploded into dust with a gasp of pain as he hit the fence. At least there was one less of the weak willed creatures that dared to bare the name vampire polluting this world with their sorry existence. Slowly he turned and faced the others. These creatures weren't vampires. They were carrion eaters, vultures hardly deserving of the unlife that had been bestowed upon them. Nevertheless there was some trace of vampire spirit there. He could see it lurking behind their fearful yellow orbs. They would serve his purpose well enough keeping the Slayer and her newfound colleague busy while he made ready for the coming of the Light. 

"Follow me." He growled, "And you will no longer need to hide in corners, sewers and dilapidated old buildings. You can walk the night as it was always intended and feed deeply upon the rich and bountiful treats that walk this world." The band of vampires stared at him blankly. He let out a groan. He could add dumbness to the list of qualities he disliked about them too.

"If I lead you, you'll get to suck blood!" he yelled. The vampires howled delightedly to the night sky.

*****

The dank, cloying air and raw stench of the sewers would have turned all but the strongest of human stomachs. The Reaver didn't even notice it as he waded up to his knees through the murky waters although he preferred not to think about what turned them that foul colour. Slowly the old brick wall loomed out of the darkness at him. With a low grunt he heaved himself up out of the water, dripping from the knees down. This old tunnel had been bricked over decades ago. It had taken him almost no time at all to smash through it with a sledgehammer. As he stepped through the ragged gap in the wall he found himself thinking back to the first time he'd entered this dry and musty chamber two months ago. As the dust that had been disturbed by the falling bricks settled he had stepped through and awed at the sight of his salvation. He looked around it now. Little had changed in the last two months. The crumbling sandstone walls still stood although roots of trees from the land above had forced their way through in places smashing holes in the ancient stone as they went bringing with them the remains of old plumbing pipes and other fixtures from the town above. The six stone pillars arranged in a hexagon around the central raised dais still held their angled mirrors in positions that would reflect light down on the dais. That was the only thing that had changed. The dais was now lit faintly by what little light filtered down from the night sky above, thanks to a series of holes The Reaver had carefully dug over each of the mirrors. Slowly he stepped over to one of the pillars and stroked his hand gently across its rough surface. He could feel the raw power of the ancient enchantments carved into the stone throbbing steadily but that was all he could feel. The contours and changes in the stone surface and texture eluded him the same way the rank smell of the sewer failed to touch him. He closed his eyes and concentrated hard trying to feel the shape of the pillar beneath his skin. Nothing. He gave a weary sigh of resignation. So many times he had tried that and each and every time he had felt that this time it would work. It never did though. He lifted his eyes sadly to stare at the dais lit with a soft radiant glow from the pale moonlight above. This was the only way he would have what he wanted. It would mean the end of one existence but the beginning of one he would relish so much more having tasted its alternative. Slowly he stood up and turned to leave casting one last glance at the moonlit chamber. Two more days were all he would have to wait. He just preyed that Buffy didn't do anything stupid in the meantime. Like getting herself killed.


	5. Meeting At The Bronze

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

INNER LIGHT

Part Four

Meeting At The Bronze

The music in the Bronze that night was loud. It pounded out of the speakers, sweeping over the throngs of dancers, causing cups, glasses and other loose items to bounce slightly with each beat as it thrummed out of the speakers. Buffy sat at the bar twisted to face Willow as they spoke. Spoke wasn't really the word for it though. Yelled would have been a far better description of what they were doing. The music in the Bronze was particularly loud that night. 

"And then he just walked out of the alleyway!" Buffy shouted over the din. Willow looked dumbstruck, almost as if she couldn't believe what was being said. 

"Wow!" she said. Buffy couldn't hear her but she could still understand. 

"I know." She continued. "Isn't it just the weirdest?" Willow nodded in agreement then smiled.

"So what's he like?" she said mischievously.

"What do you mean?" said Buffy sounding defensive.

"You know what I mean." Buffy raised her eyebrows at her.

"Willow," she said sternly. "You're not trying to get me to say something incredibly dumb that will inevitably lead me to stuttering for a way out of his conversation with my dignity intact are you?" Willow clicked her fingers in mock frustration.

"Foiled again!" she said suppressing a laugh. Then her face straightened. "Seriously Buffy, what's he like. Is he dark and brooding, you know," She paused seeming to look for a suitable description. "Angel like." She finished. Buffy shrugged.

"I suppose." She said. 

"Oh come on Buffy, details." Willow whined.

"Like What?" Buffy demanded.

"Like his looks, his personality. Is he big, small, skinny, fat, handsome, ugly, you know the usual."

"I suppose he'd have to be the better of all the ones in the list." Said Buffy slowly. 

"Wow!" Willow gasped again seemingly in awe of her friend.

"Where do you get it from Buffy?" she asked in amazement. Buffy shrugged. She didn't know and the truth was she wished she did know what she was doing so she could just stop doing it. Mysterious men seemed to gravitate to her as if she had some big neon sign over her head advertising the fact that she was irresistibly attracted to them. The Reaver was perfect example. She'd only met him once but already when she thought about him her heartbeat went up by a fair few knots. She'd felt the exact same thing with Angel in the early days. She wondered what her old squeeze was up to right now and immediately wished she hadn't. Thoughts of Angel were always painful and happened far too often to be good for her. She never wanted to be that hurt again. 

"Penny for your thoughts." Someone said. At first Buffy had thought it was Willow but when she analysed the voice in her head she realised it wasn't. It was far too deep and masculine to be her red headed friend. Slowly she turned in her seat to stare at who had spoken. The Reaver sat on a bar stool next to her. He seemed even bigger and certainly far more defined in the light of Bronze than he had been out on the street. 

"There really not worth it." She said watching as he accepted a drink from the bar man. He never even sipped at it. Instead he just held it in his hands and stared down at the surface as it rippled with every base beat of the music that continued to thunder through the club.

"Pity." He said not looking at her. "You strike me as the kind of person who'd always have something interesting to share." Buffy glanced at Willow and had to hold back a smile. She was sat dumbstruck at the sight of the Reaver. Buffy didn't blame her. His sheer height was enough to make anyone nervous. Coupled with his well developed muscles and broad chest he was all the more imposing. Despite his youthful looks grey streaked his jet-black hair at each temple. His soft grey eyes seemed to hold a permanent tint of weariness, as if everything was little more than tiring for him. For a reason she couldn't understand Buffy felt pity for him rise up inside her. 

"Care to tell me anything about yours?" she asked.

"My thoughts aren't worth that much." He said still staring at his drink.

"How much would you say they're worth." 

"Does it really matter?" Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Not much," she sighed. "Just trying to make conversation. That's all."

"I'm not much of a conversationalist." He said. 

"You could have fooled me." Said Buffy dryly. For the first time he turned to look at her and now she found herself looking into his eyes it was almost as if the sense of exhaustion was overpowering. 

"You had questions for me." He said. It was a statement but Buffy treated it like a question.

"I sure did." She smiled trying to inject a bit of chirpiness into the conversation. 

"What are they?" he said flatly. It hadn't worked. 

"I just wanted to know who you are and what you're doing here in Sunnydale." The Reaver paused for a moment, looking her up and down as he did so. Suddenly he pushed back his bar stool. 

"Let's take a walk." He said then glanced at Willow.

"Your friend can come too if she wants." Buffy turned round to see Willow nodding vigorously. She'd been listening carefully to every little thing that had been said.

"C'mon then Will." She smirked. "Looks like a game of follow the leader."

*****

 

The foul smell of the sewers wafted into Buffy's nostrils and she was rapidly beginning to think that staying in the Bronze would have been a much better idea. Ahead of her The Reaver strode knee deep through the murky sewage seemingly unaffected by the raw stench that filled the dark tunnel. Behind her she could see Willow struggling through the gunk almost up to her waist in it, her cheeks puffed out in an over exaggerated fashion as she held her breath. She would only open her mouth once every so often to suck in great lungfulls of air before closing it again. Neither of them had spoken a word since coming down here. Buffy touched her jacket pockets and felt the reassuring weight of a stake in one and the familiar outline of a crucifix in the other. Sewers were popular hang outs for vampires and she didn't want to come up against one in a place so well suited to them without at least some kind of weapon. Up in front The Reaver had paused.

"We're here." He yelled back to them.

"Where?" demanded Buffy. 

"You'll soon see." He called back. Suddenly he vanished from sight. Buffy glanced back at Willow who merely stood with her cheeks puffed out and eyes wide with shock. 

"Hey!" she yelled. "You still there?" 

"Come on!" his voice drifted back to them sounding faintly muffled. Slowly Buffy edged her way over to where he had disappeared breathing a sigh of relief when she caught sight of the hole in the wall at the end of the tunnel. 

"Willow!" she yelled back over her shoulder. "Come on." One after the other they heaved themselves out of rancid water and through the hole. The slope of loose rubble on the other side of the hole came as something of a surprise to Buffy who, as soon as she stepped on it, lost her footing and went skidding down the slope on her back.

"You've got a lot to answer for!" she growled dusting herself off as she clambered to her feet. "I might be the Slayer but I don't want to spend my precious free time wading through sewers and falling down slop…" her voice trailed off as she caught sight of the chamber around her. It was big. Easily the size of the old Library back at Sunnydale High and certainly higher too. The dusty yellow sandstone walls were covered in all manner of strange symbols that Buffy did not recognise. The only light in the chamber seemed to be focused on the large central dais. Carved into its surface were a series of dots and lines that she remembered only too well.

"The star constellations!" she breathed. A muffled shriek behind her announced the arrival of Willow. Buffy turned to help her friend to her feet. 

"Check this place out Will." She said. "Recognise any of these?" she gestured at the symbols on the wall.

"Not really." Said Willow. "Give me a minute and I might have something." While Willow disappeared into the chamber Buffy began to search for the Reaver. She found him some minutes later with his back to her, fingertips pressed to one of five large pillars that surrounded the dais.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she walked nearer. He whirled around to face her seemingly embarrassed by the whole thing. 

"Nothing!" he said a little too sharply. 

"O.K." said Buffy emphasising the O. 

"Well what do you think?" he said moving his arm in a wide gesture that seemed to take in the entire chamber.

"It's amazing." Said Buffy looking up to the high ceiling. The look of awe passed from her face as she turned questioning eyes to him.

"What exactly is it?" she said. The Reaver chuckled softly.

"I don't think it has a name." He said looking around the chamber. "But it has a purpose."

"Which is?" she pressed.

"To bring life from death." 

"Come again?" said Buffy cupping a hand behind her ear. "It sounded like you just said this thing could bring the dead to life."

"It can." She was stunned.

"How?" she said finally. 

"When the three constellations occur back to back…"

"…Then light will come and evil will walk abroad." Finished Buffy. "I know that but what does it mean." He seemed momentarily stunned by her reciting of the prophecy.

"How did you know…"

"My Watcher," she grinned. It suddenly faded. "Or Ex-watcher, whatever." She continued.

"Oh." Was all he said.

"Now are you going to tell me what it means or not."

"I'm not entirely certain about how the temple works," he said. "But I do know that when the constellations occur one after the other for three nights, on the third night the light from these constellations will shine down on the temple and create a life giving light over that dais." He pointed at the centre of the chamber where the pale light shone. In the light she could clearly make out a symbol etched into one of the pillars.

"Hey Will!" she shouted. "Any luck with the symbols?"

"Nope," her friends voice drifted out of the shadows that collected in the corners of the chamber. "But I can tell they're powerful. Whoever carved them knew exactly what they were doing." Buffy gazed at the symbol. She often wondered how Willow could do that. Her training at being a witch undoubtedly helped but Buffy had thought that her powers as the Slayer might have allowed her to see things others could not. The truth was that when she stared at the symbols, no matter how hard she tried, all she ever saw were stones with fancy writing engraved on them. Willow saw so much more and Buffy sometimes found herself feeling jealous of the abilities her friend possessed.  

"Pretty impressive." she said walking over to the dais to get a better look at the symbol that had caught her eye. "But what does any of this have to do with me? Does the Slayer play some mystical part in getting this thing to work? Do I have to spill blood on the dais or something because if I do then you can forget having my help." The Reaver was shaking his head smiling.

"None of that Buffy." He said. "The temple has nothing to do with you whatsoever."

"Then what do you need me for?"

"I need you to help me protect it." He said.

"From who."

"Us." Hissed a third voice. She whirled around in surprise to see two vamps stood at the bottom of the rocky slope; both in full on vamp faces. She winced at the sight of them. Even if they had had human faces on they still would have been butt ugly. Their clothes were tatty and their skin was pale even for vampires. They both looked skinny, almost malnourished and grime covered their thin features. 

"You really ought to take better care of your place," she said turning to the Reaver. "Squatters can be real trouble." 

"Can we just skip all this and get down to the fighting," snarled one of the two scruffy vampires. "I'm hungry." His friend turned to look at him and grinned.

"Then let's eat." He sniggered and suddenly hurled himself across the open air at the two of them. Buffy stepped forward, grabbing at his loose fitting shirt and, using his added momentum, hurled him across the chamber. The vampire smashed heavily against one of the pillars sinking to the floor. Pivoting to face where he had landed Buffy yanked the stake she was carrying out of her jacket pocket and threw it straight at him. Her aim was impeccable and in an instant the vampire was little more than a pile of dust. 

"Lost your appetite yet?" she grinned turning to the second vamp. A look of panic spread across his face as he turned to run. Next to her she watched as the Reaver drew his own stake and lifted it ready to throw. In front of them the vampire vanished in a cloud of dust.

"Nice throw!" said Buffy, surprised he had managed it all so fast. It was then she noticed the stake was still in his hand.

"What the…" her voice trailed off as the cloud of dust cleared revealing a tall man with a long dark pony tail that fell down to his waist stood in the entrance to the chamber, a stake still held loosely in his hand. Then she saw it and felt a shiver run down her spine. Next to his right eye was a tattoo of a black bladed sword. He was the vampire she'd been warned about.

"Pathetic." he muttered to himself as the dust settled. "Death is too good a fate for these maggots." He glanced up and appeared to notice them for the first time. His chilling dark brown eyes passed over both she and Willow who had emerged from the shadows at the sounds of fighting, to finally settle on the Reaver.

"Marcus!" he snarled. "So the worm has finally crawled back out of the woodwork."

"You're slipping King." Marcus snapped icily back at him. "In the good old days you'd never have revealed yourself."

"And I wouldn't have this time except you have brought the Slayer into our little business here." He turned to glare at Buffy and she felt that same shiver as his eyes focused on her. "This is going to be your only warning Slayer so listen carefully for I hate to repeat myself. You are too close to this and I will not tolerate interference of any kind. Leave it be and I will not be forced to drink from you and your friends." He turned to leave pausing by the entrance to the chamber. 

"One last thing Marcus." He said, "Let the good times roll on," he disappeared out of the hole in the wall and into the sewers still speaking. 

"Let the good times roll on."


	6. Revelations

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

INNER LIGHT

Part Five

Revelations

Xander sat in Giles' main room sifting through one of the British Librarians many ancient tomes. Normally he would have been out on a Friday night, down at the Bronze enjoying himself with Buffy and Willow. Or at least he would be trying to. Since they had started College his two friends had been visiting the Bronze less and less and he was beginning to feel left out of the loop. There were times when he actually found himself missing the good old days of heavy-duty vampire slayage back at high school. At least then he'd been useful to the team, not just some loafer who hung about doing odd jobs all the time. 

Speaking of odd jobs this particular one was becoming mind numbingly tedious and he had only been doing it for ten minutes. Helping Giles hunt through his old texts for reference to some obscure vampire Buffy thought might be kicking around Sunnydale was not exactly the most fun way he could be passing his time. The more he thought about it though the more he realised that that was an utter lie. If he wasn't here the chances were he'd have been at home skulking about in the basement he now lived in. At least he was doing something that would help Buffy.

"Any luck over there Xander?" Giles asked from the other side of the room where he too was sat with a heavy leather bound book open across his knees.

"That would have to be a negatory." He said then winced. Sometimes he shocked even himself with his terrible attempts at levity.

"Why exactly does Buffy want to find this vamp so badly anyway?" Giles looked at him like he was some kind of retard.

"Buffy is the Vampire Slayer Xander." He said in his familiar schoolteacher tones. "One would assume she wants to slay him." 

"Since when has Buffy shown the initiative with the vampire slaying?" Xander replied cocking an eyebrow. "Other than with Spike, and there she had some pretty damn good reasons too." 

"This vampire is no ordinary creature of the night." Giles said returning his attention to the book perched on his lap.

"How do we know?" said Xander. Giles looked flustered or at least more so than usual.

"I'm not sure." He replied finally. Xander sighed and went back to his own dusty tome. Nothing on this page. He reached out and turned the crinkled papyrus over. A black bladed sword was prominently displayed. He couldn't read the ancient dialect but he could understand pictures of which there were many. He raised his hand slowly, trembling at what he saw there.

"Uh, G..G…Giles!" he stuttered loudly.

"What now?" harrumphed the librarian in irritation. 

"I think I've found our vampire." Giles' face lit up. 

"Really," he placed aside his book and walked across the room. "Let me see." Xander gladly handed the book over to him and watched stunned as Giles' gaze fell upon the wrinkled old pages. Slowly his eyes widened at what he beheld.

"Oh dear." He said.

*****

King heaved himself clear of the manhole cover in the alleyway. Climbing up onto the street he slowly let his eyes travel up to the night sky above. Two of the alignments were in place. Soon everything would be ready. That had felt very satisfying. To see the confusion on the Slayers face, the fear in the Reavers eyes and the surprise on his lackeys face. Had the foolish creature really believed he was leaving that place alive once he was down there. Even if the Slayer hadn't killed the other King would have dispatched them both and still blamed her. He couldn't risk having the others know the location of the temple. Not yet anyway. Who knew what they'd do. Hunger and fear had driven this gang he now ruled to the edge of madness and as a result all were becoming increasingly unpredictable. King was beginning to regret killing the leader. At least that one might have been able to keep them under better control. Still right now he needed them. The satisfaction of killing the weak willed vermin would be all the more sweet once he had no more use for there exceedingly limited talents. As he stared at the stars glittering overhead his hand began to shake and as usual he had to concentrate to bring it under control.

"Just a little longer." He growled.

"A little longer for what?" came a voice from behind him. It was Carlos, one of the vampires who had been fighting when he had first come to them.

"That is none of your concern." he hissed. Carlos was troublesome. It would have taken King no time at all to dispatch the vampire but he held authority over the others. To kill him would lose him his followers so right now he had no choice but to allow the upstart to live.

"Where are the others?" asked Carlos nodding at the manhole cover. 

"Dead," said King "Thanks to the Slayer." 

"You said there was nothing to worry about from the Slayer!" Said Carlos his voice rising in fury. "You said you would take care of her!"

"I can and I will but you must be patient."

"I'm tired of being patient!" Carlos yelled "I'm tired of skulking in corners and dark holes! I want to see the Slayers blood, and if you don't kill her, the others and I will." King stepped forward bringing his own face closer to the other vampires. As he stared into the wild eyes of the other his face changed. His brow protruded more, his canines grew longer and his eyes glistened a feral yellow colour. 

"Are you challenging me?" he growled from the back of his throat. He was amazed at how much resolve this young vampire had.

"Not yet." Said Carlos before turning on his heel and beginning to leave. Without even pausing King reached over and tore the other vampires throat out. Carlos collapsed to the ground convulsing as the blood he had worked so hard to obtain flowed out over the ground.

"I am sorry about this." He said drawing a stake from inside his jacket. "I was going to let you live but unfortunately you're too much of a liability for me now." He plunged the wooden spike downward piercing Carlos' heart. As the younger vampire turned to dust King let out a sad sigh. He would have to control the others through fear now. It wouldn't be as easy but it would certainly be more interesting.

*****

Buffy hurried down the street to Giles' house with Willow in tow. They had a lot to discuss and not much time to do it in. Marcus, if that was his name, had disappeared after they'd left the sewers saying he had other things to take care of but Buffy was damned if she knew what these things were. Taking the steps down to his house two at a time she darted over and banged hard on the door. She didn't want to run the risk of him being upstairs and not hear her knocking. Things were urgent and she really didn't want to have to break the door off its hinges. She was about to bang on the door again when it swung open and Giles faced her.

"We need to talk." They both said at once. Giles looked slightly surprised then opened the door wider allowing them entrance. Buffy and Willow wasted no time darting in through the gap. Once inside they turned and waited for Giles to close and lock the door. Vampires couldn't come in unless invited but Buffy and the others had learned to be cautious over their years here on the Hellmouth. Vampires had a tendency to throw you a curve when you were least expecting it. As Giles turned to them he took a step forward.

"Buffy, what's wrong?" he said concern etched across his face. "You seem agitated." From a chair in the corner of the room Xander, who'd been watching intently, spoke.

"And the understatement of the year award goes to…"

"Not now Xander!" Giles snapped with such ferocity Buffy noticed Willow wince.

"I'm fine," she said with a flippancy she didn't feel, "Just a run in with the Reaver a.k.a Marcus, a mysterious temple right underneath our fair town, and our new playmate, the sword Vamp decided to make an appearance as well." The moment she mentioned their meeting with the vampire Buffy couldn't help but notice as Giles' face whitened slightly.

"You found something didn't you?" she said all hint of humour drained from her voice. Now was really not the time to be making jokes. 

"Just some information on our 'new playmate'." Said Giles shuffling past her and over to the table. 

"I'm guessing what you found doesn't encourage 'yay' feelings." Said Willow from the small wooden chair she was now perched on.

"And you'd be right." Said Giles leaning over the table and retrieving an old book kept open at roughly the centre. He turned round and handed it to her with a rustle of ancient manuscript. Buffy couldn't help but notice that he did his best to avoid looking at it. As she gripped the surprisingly heavy tome in between her hands she looked down and felt a cold dread move through her at what she saw. The writing was strange and she didn't recognise it but the pictures scrawled over the next few pages told her just as much. The first showed a huge Pyramid rising from a river of black ink on the page that Buffy assumed was meant to be blood. The second image depicted a man nailed to a large wooden cross with a crown of thorns adorning his head. Night had fallen and at the base of the cross stood a second figure. He held a black bladed sword and was dressed in ragged robes with a hood that covered his face. The third and final picture showed the man from the temple clutching the same black sword in one hand and a flaming torch in the other. His head was raised to the heavens; fangs exposed in a monstrous howl while blood poured down his jaws and stained his teeth. Behind him a city was burning under the night sky and when she squinted Buffy could just make out figures running in flames from the houses.

"Not the nicest guy on the block." She muttered. 

"I'll say." Agreed Willow who'd been peaking over her shoulder.

"Who is he Giles?" Said Buffy still staring at the images decorating the pages before her. "I mean you can read this stuff right?"

"Oh yes I can read it." Said Giles.

"Then who is he?"

"The book simply refers to him as The King."

"Marcus called him King." Buffy said absently.

"Probably a nickname." Said Xander

"Yes, quite." Said Giles taking off his glasses and rubbing at them with his hanky. "Anyway that book is the only reference to him we've been able to find and as you can see it doesn't paint a very promising picture."

"Forget understatement of the year!" said Xander in shock. "You could make it of the decade!"

"Look you guys!" snapped Buffy, "I'd love to stand here all night listening as it takes you two half the night to answer just one simple question but unfortunately we don't have time. Whatever is going on round here comes to a peak tomorrow and this guy is majorly involved so could one of you tell me who he is!"

"That's just it Buffy." Said Giles. "Even with the book we're not quite sure. He is definitely old. The book shows that he was present during the crucifixion and the early references date back as far as the ancient Egyptians."

"Hence the pyramid." Said Willow. "Obviously."

"So what about this picture?" said Buffy pointing at the one of the burning city. "What's this got to do with him?"

"That's what the book mainly details." Said Giles. "You see Buffy, this King is something of an authority figure among vampires. He's described as being very old and exceedingly powerful to such an extent that he has been able to maintain his human visage unlike other old vampires such as the Master. Being so old he gathered quite a following of younger vampires who he used to set up his own underworld kingdom over which he ruled as a dark lord of the night as it were."

"So why am I only being attacked by a bunch of scruffy low life vamps and not some big Knight types like the Three?" She asked.

"I was just getting to that." Said Giles who sounded irritated at being interrupted. "According to that book his kingdom existed for two hundred years as a kind of vampire paradise until it was burned to the ground."

"If he was the king Arthur of vampires how could anyone beat him?" asked Willow. "Was it a Slayer who did it?" Giles shook his head.

"It was him. He burned it down."

"Okay back up a little here Giles." Buffy said feeling very confused. "You did just say he right? As in King? King burned down his own kingdom? Why?"

"He is apparently a great believer in the purity and greatness of the vampire spirit. He saw that his subjects had become decadent and corrupt, that they had become separated from the very instincts a vampire must rely upon in order to survive so as punishment he took a torch to the city and burned it to the ground. Anyone who stood in his way was brutally murdered."

"So who exactly does this guy bat for?" asked Xander. "I mean, he kills his own kind at the drop of a hat. That doesn't suggest Master type to me." Giles turned to Xander. 

"I wouldn't think that if I were you. Just because he will readily kill vampires doesn't mean he can be seen as a 'good' vampire. He is just like any other, ruthless and evil." Buffy rolled her eyes. Giles always knew the wrong thing to say at the wrong time. Still at least he was predictable unlike so many other things in her life.

"Is there any good news you'd care to share?" she asked.

"There is one silver lining, yes." Said Giles.

"Which is?" 

"In all his life as a vampire I don't think he's ever killed a Slayer. I don't think he's even fought one. It's possible that if he comes into combat with you he'll underestimate your abilities. That may at least give you some advantage."

"At last things are looking up." Xander said his voice filled with sarcasm.

*****

Marcus crept slowly towards the ruined building site. A gust of wind sent strewn pieces of paper fluttering up through the air in a graceful ballet. The wind would have made anyone else shiver. Not him though. He continued creeping forward listening to the muffled pleas coming from inside the building. A dull glow from inside cast flickering shadows on the wall as he approached showing a whirling view of what was taking place inside those half finished walls. Finally he reached the hard concrete and began to edge along it. As he neared a gap in the wall he peered round it. At least twelve vampires were gathered in a circle around two young girls fresh from the Bronze that night. Each one had a gag roughly tied around their jaw so as to stop them screaming too loudly. Tears streamed down their faces as vampires laughed and jeered at them. Then King appeared. He pushed his way into the centre of the vamps along with the two women. 

"Did no one ever teach you scum that it's bad manners to play with your food?" without pause he whirled around his face morphing as he went and dragged one of the girls closer to him, biting through the skin of her neck like it was nothing more than paper. As he held her with one arm his other snaked into her long auburn hair and yanked her head back with such force that her neck snapped with a sickening crunch. He drank for another minute or so before dropping her to the floor. Most of the vampires pounced on the dead girl like jackals now that their master had finished feeding. Marcus watched as he turned to the second girl exposing blood stained fangs. He couldn't let him do this. Too many had already died because of this one.

"King!" he roared stepping out from behind the wall. "If you touch her I will kill you!" Over a dozen pairs of blazing yellow orbs fixed their attention on him. The moment he appeared three of the creatures began to move toward him licking their lips hungrily.

"Wait!" King yelled at them. "Don't even try. You won't even hurt this one. Even when we think you're finally dead you just keep coming back to haunt us don't you Reaver." The other vampires backed away at that. Marcus could guess why. He hadn't yet met a vampire who hadn't heard tales of the Reaver. Many were incredibly over exaggerated of course, but most vampires were so arrogant they had to virtually deify any creature that could defeat them. 

"Give me the girl King." He said flatly. King glanced at the young girl behind him. 

"Take her if it means that much to you." He said as if he didn't have a care in the world. "After all what's a meal between friends." 

"You know very well I do not have your appetites." King smiled as he reached over and snatched the gag from her mouth. 

"You ought to try it some time. You'd be surprised at how refreshing it is." He turned to the girl, "Run home little one," he growled. "Before my hunger reasserts itself."

"Enjoy your food while you can King." Marcus shot back. He couldn't help himself and glanced around the motley crew of vampires watching him. They seemed transfixed by the way he and their master were talking to one another. 

"After tomorrow night Marcus, I will have all the time in world to satisfy my thirst." King snarled.

"I wouldn't count on it." Marcus grinned. "The Slayer and I are more than a match for you." 

"So she is aiding you." King hissed darkly. "You shouldn't have brought her into this Marcus. The Slayer has no business in this affair. It is strictly between you and I."

"Getting worried King." Jeered Marcus. King scowled at him

"Worry for your own soul Reaver," he said, "and prey for your friend the Slayers. She'll need it." He turned to the other vampires. 

"Follow me." He growled. "We have much to do before tomorrow night." Marcus watched them go. 

"So do I." He whispered.


	7. Beginning of The End

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

INNER LIGHT

Part Six

Beginning Of The End

Buffy groaned at the sound of birds singing happily outside and rolled over relieving the uncomfortable pressure on the side of her face that had been pressed against the arm of Giles' settee for the few hours of sleep she'd had. 

"Please shut up." She mumbled at the singing creature. Its response was to tweet happily back at her. With another groan she stretched her self up into a sitting position and yawned. Glancing around Giles' living room she caught sight of Willow and Xander snoozing in armchairs while Giles himself was slumped over his worktable drooling on one of his old books and snoring loudly.

"For once I'm the first one awake." She smiled tiredly. "yay me." She clambered exhaustedly off the settee and made her way through to the small kitchen area that over looked the living room and began making herself a strong cup of coffee. Buffy reached over and opened the coffee. One advantage of being the Slayer was she never encountered tricky jars. There was a sudden knock at the door causing her to send the beans flying across the room. 

"Oh great!" she said stepping out from the kitchen area and making her way around to the front door. A second round of thunderous knocking caused Giles to stir behind her. She reached out and opened the door. Marcus was stood on the other side. 

"Morning." He said flatly. 

"What happened to 'good'?" said Buffy. 

"It's not that kind of morning. Can I come in?" 

"Yeah sure." Said Buffy watching as he stepped over the threshold. She was still unsure about what he was. He certainly was not human. Not after the things she'd seen him do. She was relieved as he stepped past a mirror to see that he had a reflection. 

"Not that I want to sound paranoid here or anything but what are you doing here?" she asked. Giles groggily lifted his head, his eyes widening as he caught sight of the stranger in his house.

"There's a lot to do before tonight, a lot of planning and preparation. I'm here to help you." 

"Uh Buffy," said Giles, "Do you know this man."

"Giles, this is Marcus."

"Ah!" Giles exclaimed. "So you're the Reaver. At last maybe we can have a little light shed on this subject." The Reaver turned and smiled weakly at him. 

"I suppose I do owe you people answers and I am only too happy to give them to you." He sighed. "Unfortunately it'll have to be the abridged version. We only have one day and you can bet that King is already preparing. Our only advantage is they cannot move in the daylight."

"Well," said Giles waving at a chair nearby, "let's get started."

*****

Buffy sat nursing her third cup of coffee as Marcus finished his background detail of the temple. Xander, Willow and Giles seemed enraptured by it. As Marcus had told her the night before the temple had been built with the simple purpose of bringing the dead to life. Unfortunately it could only do this every several thousand years when three star alignments occurred back to back. The final alignment due to occur tonight would complete this cycle for the next few thousand years before the temple would activate again meaning missing the convergence was pretty much unacceptable to all involved parties otherwise next time round there would be an even bigger waiting list. 

"Okay so let me get this straight," said Xander. "We have a vampire who's a couple of thousand years old, a temple that can make the dead live which hasn't worked in even longer and you are trying to stop him reaching it. There is a slight question of motivation here. Like why does he want to reach the temple and why are you trying to stop him."

"That's a good point." Said Buffy. "Why is a vampire interested in coming to life? Surely that would kill the vampire and bring back the soul of the man he used to be."

Marcus leaned back in his armchair and let out a long sigh. 

"That's a long story. We'll start with the temple. It can't revive a vampire. There are other forces at work there than death itself. The demon inside the body will not allow it to live again but the light can cure disease and terminal injuries. That's what King wants. He is sick and dying Buffy. He has a few decades left but no longer. This is his last chance and he isn't going to give it up without a fight." He leaned forward again. "I'm sure you see the advantages Buffy in keeping a creature like King away from opportunities for him to heal himself."

"So why do you want to see him dead so badly? Is this a vengeance trip? Did he kill someone close to you?" asked Willow. 

"Nothing like that." Buffy's eyes narrowed.

"You poisoned him didn't you?" she said with a knowing grin. "It didn't kill him outright and you want to make sure the job gets done." Marcus smiled.

"There is a slightly more personal reason." 

"Which is?" she asked.

"Non of your concern." 

"I think it very much is our concern." Said Buffy irritably. She was sick and tired of having her questions sidestepped by Marcus. "If we are to help you we need a reason and it had better be a good one." He gave an irritated sigh.

"All you need to know is that I have a condition that can't be cured by modern science. That temple is the only thing that can help me." He took her hands in his and squeezed them gently. "Please Buffy, help me." She stared at his grey eyes and not for the first time she found herself thinking of Angel. God she hated it when this happened. It had been a few months now but it still hurt when she thought about it. It hurt like hell every time she saw him in her mind. Slowly she pulled her hands free of his.

"Alright," she said softly. "We'll help." He smiled with delight. 

"I knew I could count on you." 

"So what do we do?" asked Xander.

"I already have an idea." Grinned Buffy.

*****

Buffy stepped out of the church carrying the bottles of holy water still smiling at the look on the priests face when she had asked him to bless them. As she reached the roadside she turned and looked back at the building. It was funny. Every time she visited church she found herself thinking about the existence of God. And the more she thought about it the more likely it seemed to her that he did exist. She fingered the cross necklace she always wore and let her gaze travel to its larger equivalent perched on the roof of the holy building. If there was a hell as she was so often reminded in this line of work then there simply had to be a heaven. After all if you didn't have one what could define the other. She shook her head. This train of thought was becoming way too heavy for her right now. She turned and found herself face to face with a man stood shivering as he huddled inside a ragged makeshift cloak. He looked very pale and his eyes constantly darted fearfully towards the cross on the church roof and around her neck. It took her a moment to notice the smoke rising from his body. 

"Y…You have a…a…allied yourself with his e…enemy." The vampire stuttered nervously. He glanced over his shoulder at the nearby trees. Buffy followed his gaze and for a moment thought she saw a flicker of movement in the shadows. The vampire coughed. It was a horrible sound wracked with pain and suffering.

"F…F…for that you will p…pay." He finished just in time as his body finally gave up and succumbed to the sunlight burning him to a crisp. She winced at the sight of it. No creature on Earth, not even a vampire deserved to suffer so much in death but the vamp must have been terrified even more of what would happen to him if he hadn't delivered that heart warming little message otherwise he would never have done it. She looked back over at the trees once more and shivered. She had the feeling things were becoming much more dangerous.

*****

King smiled from where he stood in the shadow of the trees as the Slayer glanced about. Even from this distance he could see the fear in her eyes.

"As it should be my dear." He muttered before glancing at the sinking sun. In his exceptionally long life as a vampire he had learned many ways to circumvent the rules under which vampires existed and was all the stronger for it. Yet despite his strengths and abilities the ability to walk in the sunlight eluded him. It was perhaps the one unbreakable rule all vampires must adhere to that only certain spells or charms could hope to shield them from. He didn't miss walking in the daylight. Far from it, the night was a much better time for his kind and far more beautiful to boot. Nevertheless the ability to walk freely during the day would be a powerful tool provided the vampire knew how to use it. Still, the sun was sinking and soon night would arrive and with it the final alignment and his salvation. His arm began to shake again. Gritting his teeth he concentrated hard to bring it under control but it did no good. Reaching round with his free arm he gripped it tightly to steady it breathing steadily in and out. After several minutes he released his grip on the arm and smiled when it remained still. Tonight would be glorious. Not only would he be restored to full health by morning but his revenge on that cursed Reaver would be complete and the Slayer would be dead. He licked his canines in anticipation.

"At last." He whispered.


	8. Sunset

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

INNER LIGHT

Part Seven

Sunset

The Sun was dipping behind the houses of Sunnydale as Buffy got back to Giles' house still carrying the bottles of holy water. Outside Giles and Xander were loading a bunch of heavy looking crates into the back of Giles' decrepit old car. She would be amazed if the thing could even start with the added weight of the crates. 

"Got the holy water?" asked Xander as he turned away from loading one of the crates. She grinned and flashed him the bottles. 

"Did you expect anything less?"

"Never from the Buffster." He said hefting the last of the crates.

"Are those…" Xander nodded. 

"Freshly requisitioned from our friendly neighbourhood military base."

"Great." Buffy glanced around. "Where are Marcus and Willow?" Xander nodded in the direction of Giles' house. 

"Willow and the big guy are looking through Giles' books to see if they can get any more info on King." 

"Well study times over." Said Buffy tossing the bottles of holy water onto the backseat of Giles' car. "We need to get moving." Giles nodded and slammed the car door. 

"We ought to at least go over the plan first though." He said.

"You're right." Said Buffy. "But I think we ought to do it inside. I just had a run in with a vamp before he flambéed in the sunlight and something tells me King doesn't like what we're doing."

"Agreed." Said Giles before making his way down to the house. Inside Willow and Marcus were sat side by side on the sofa both with books open on their laps.

"Any luck?" asked Buffy as she walked in. Marcus shook his head.

"Well it's too late now. C'mon, we're going over the plan." Both Willow and Marcus closed their books and turned to face her. 

"First off, Willow, can you remember the way to the temple on your own?"

"I think so." Said Willow nervously. 

"Good," said Buffy. "You get to drive there with Xander and Giles. When you get there unload our gear and get it to the temple. Xander and Giles, when you get there set up our little surprise and pour the holy water into the sewage. The vamps will have to get through consecrated water to reach the temple. Marcus and me will get there on foot dusting any of Kings boys we run into on the way. Everybody happy with that?" Buffy almost jumped out of her skin at the sound of a loud thud against the door. Slowly all eyes in the room turned to it.

"Who do you think it is?" asked Xander quietly.

"There's only one way to find out." Said Buffy. Slowly she stepped closer to it. All the time her eyes were fixed upon the wooden panelling. She already knew who would be on the other side. She didn't understand why. It wasn't like he could come in. Gingerly she reached out and twisted the doorknob. The door opened so slowly it was almost painful waiting for it. Suddenly it was as if time had sped right back up again and she found herself staring into the dark brown eyes of King. 

"Good evening Slayer." He said coldly. Behind him stood a band of immensely hungry looking vampires, each one wearing the true face of a vampire. Only King retained his human visage.

"What are you doing here King?" she demanded. "Delivering me another warning?" The ancient vampire glared at her. 

"The time for warnings is past Slayer. You did not heed my first and now you shall pay the price." He leaned close to the doorframe threateningly. "Now tell me, which parts do you want me to mail to your mother first?" This wasn't the first time Buffy had been threatened by a vampire. As a matter of fact she was used to it but there was something about King that made her nervous. Something that she couldn't quite put her finger on and she hated that feeling. She'd felt the same about the Master and they all knew how she'd reacted to that. 

"Just cut the crap King." She growled defensively. "We both know you can't come in so why all the song and dance on the front doorstep?" He laughed. It wasn't a nice sound.

"That's what I love about humans!" he chuckled. "You're so gullible, blindly believing every little detail you can be spoon fed. You see Slayer," he continued reaching up and slowly tracing the outline of the doorframe as he spoke, "For vampires not being able to enter a home unless invited is like a locked door and as I'm sure you know all you need to be able to open a locked door is a key." As he finished the sentence he stepped forward across the threshold and into the house. As he did so the air around him seemed to crackle with invisible energy. Buffy stepped back in surprise, her eyes fixed upon the vampire who up into now had never demonstrated any abilities that made him a force to be feared. 

"All of you," she said glancing back over her shoulder, "Get to the temple. Now."

"But Buffy…" protested Giles.

"Just go!" she yelled at him. He didn't argue a second time. As she stood and faced down the vampire in front of her she listened as the back door slammed. 

"What do we do now Buffy?" She whirled round to see Marcus stood behind her. 

"What are you still doing here?" she demanded. 

"Helping you." Was his simple answer. 

"How touching." Sneered King. "Slayer and Reaver, side by side. Oh but where are my manners, please," he gestured to the others outside the door. "Come in." The assembled vampires whooped with joy and poured into the house like a wave of sharp teeth and bad breath. Buffy staked the first to come at her with no trouble but as soon as he disintegrated two more had taken its place. They grabbed her by the arms and hurled her through the opening in the partition wall into the kitchen area. Her head slammed heavily against Giles' oven as she crashed to the floor. With her vision still spinning she picked herself up and round housed the first vampire to appear. As the creature fell away she leapt onto the next just behind him pummelling away with a series of furious blows to its chest and head that had the vampire reeling. Vaulting back through the partition opening she grabbed Giles' coat stand and used it like a makeshift pike, staking the first vampire to approach her before whirling around to come face to face with King. The moment she saw him she thrust her overly large stake at where his heart should be only to find it piercing thin air.

"Buffy, behind you!" yelled Marcus from where he was busy trying to free himself from the grasp of three vampires. She spun around just in time to see King's pale hand snake out and wrap around her throat. His grip tightened choking the air out of her as he hoisted her off her feet. 

"Go ahead and struggle Slayer." He snarled as her dangling legs kicked vainly at him. "It will only make the blood taste of your fear." The last thing Buffy heard before King sank his fangs into her neck was Marcus crying out.

*****

King snarled with pleasure as he dropped the Slayers bleeding body to the ground, licking the excess blood from his lips as he stared down at her. It occurred to him that he had never actually killed a Slayer before. Of course he hadn't killed this one but from the injuries it wouldn't be long before she bled to death. He should have done this centuries ago. Her blood had been delicious. Perhaps the best he had ever tasted. He had expected more from the Slayer though. She had been no challenge at all. It had all been so easy he was actually stunned by the simplicity of it. 

"Buffy!" roared the Reaver from where three vampires held him tightly. 

"We're leaving." He said simply. The vampires nodded dropping the Reaver to the ground. The broad man was instantly at the Slayers side, desperately attempting to stem the blood flow from the two holes in her neck. 

"I warned her and told you Reaver." He hissed. "She should never have been involved in this." He glanced out of the window and up at the darkening sky. Already the final stars were gathering. 

"Hurry." He snapped as they headed for the door. "We don't have much time."


	9. The Last Alignment

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

INNER LIGHT

Part Eight

The Last Alignment

Marcus waded hurriedly through the sewer water clutching the prone body of Buffy in his hands. He might not be able to feel things in the same way as a person but it didn't take a genius to see she was dying. Her face was pale and her breathing shallow and raspy. Her hair was matted with blood from the wound on her throat and she was moaning deliriously. 

In his life Marcus had seen way too many people die but up until now he had never really cared about any one of them. He had not liked seeing it happen but at the same time he had never felt any true regret at seeing it either. He had thought it was just part of what he was. Detachment had always come naturally to him. When you lived among humans but couldn't feel the things they took for granted you tended to become a little introverted. For once though he did care. He didn't want to see Buffy die. It would be too painful. He looked down at her again. If it was possible she looked even paler than before. 

"Hold on Buffy." He muttered as he struggled onward. Each time he looked at her Buffy only grew more and more beautiful to him. Another first. He had never met a woman he would call beautiful before. He just hoped she wasn't the last he would meet. Up ahead the flickering glow of torchlight lit up the tunnels. No sign of vampires. That was good. When he had first arrived in Sunnydale he had spent weeks finding and memorising the layout to the tunnels. He knew the quickest ways to the temple from just about anywhere in Sunnydale. It was a knowledge he was extremely proud of and one he was now glad he'd earned. Slowly he stepped up the rubble trying desperately to keep his balance.

"Giles!" he yelled into the temple, "Willow! Xander!" 

"What?" he heard Giles yell, "What is it." 

"It's Buffy!" he shouted back "She's hurt!" The bespectacled British Librarian appeared at the entrance.

"Buffy!" he whispered.

*****

King glanced back at his followers and smiled inwardly. This brought back memories of better times. Memories of when he hadn't been infected by some cursed poison, memories of when he ruled over more than just a ragtag band of sorry excuses for vampires. Such a life he had lead then poof, he was suddenly something so much less, something as weak and pathetic as those that followed him. But now after three centuries his torment was coming to an end. By the end of the night he would be what he once had been. Strong and powerful. Maybe he would begin a new kingdom. Return vampires to what they once had been, Lords of the underworld rather than its victims. He turned a corner and smiled at the sight of the flickering torchlight. It was so near he couldn't believe it. A long empty tunnel and he would be there. A long empty tunnel.

"There it is master!" whooped one of his servants rushing forward toward the light. As the young vampire hurtled forward King held up his hand to stop the others. 

"Wait." He said. As the vampire ran smoke began to rise from around his legs. Suddenly he tripped stumbling face down into the water. His screams echoed round the tunnels long after his body had turned to dust.

"Clever." He hissed. 

"They consecrated the water." Said one of the other vampires behind him. "Now what do we do?"

"I would have thought that was blindingly obvious." King snarled. "We're going to get to that temple and kill everyone inside."

*****

Marcus peered out of the entrance of the temple to catch sight of a third vampire burning up in the consecrated water. Buffy's idea had worked well. The water was slowing them down but it was only a matter of time before the creatures reached the temple and when they did all hell would break loose. There was no way he could defend the ancient place from so many of them without the aid of Buffy but unfortunately she wasn't in any state to fight right now. In fact things weren't looking too good for the Slayer at all. Another vampire's legs gave out beneath it and it collapsed screaming into the water. For the first time in his long existence Marcus actually felt nervous. The stars were still not in position and they were in serious danger of being overrun. When that happened King would have the temple and a terrible vampire would be restored to full strength. To say things weren't looking good was something of an understatement. Finally a vampire reached the rubble at the foot of the entrance and scrambled free of burning water, its legs blistered and burned so badly the creature must have been in agony. 

"Get Ready!" He yelled down into the chamber. "Here they come!" Behind him he could hear Xander muttering to himself as he wrenched a hefty tree branch from the wall to use as a makeshift club and swung it a few times as a test. The vampire on the slope gave an animal snarl of anger and hurled itself up the slope at him. Marcus swung his fist out in a perfectly executed uppercut that caught the vampire under its chin sending it tumbling back down the slope into the water where it disintegrated. Within moments two more had taken its place. Reacting on instinct he lashed out his foot catching one in the gut, knocking it back slightly while its friend moved closer to him. As he whirled to face the second vamp the first recovered quicker than he had expected and launched itself at him. The vamp barrelled into him with such force that both Marcus and his assailant were sent tumbling down the rubble slope into the ancient chamber. With the entrance open the remaining few vampires spilled through into the room and soon Buffy's friends were fighting for their lives. Marcus was impressed at just how well they handled themselves, particularly Buffy's former Watcher Giles. But still none of them were any match for their attackers. As he staked one vampire he reached into his pocket with his free hand, uncorked a vial of holy water and hurled it into the face of another. The creature threw its hands up to cover its face and howled in agony. Marcus took his chance and planted a boot squarely in its stomach that sent the vampire staggering backward to impale itself on a sharp tree root jutting from the wall. Across the room the young girl called Willow was having difficulty defending Buffy's body from an attacking vampire. Quickly he darted across the room and plunged a stake through the unsuspecting monsters back. At a nearby pillar the Watcher had managed to stake a vamp of his own and was looking thoroughly exhausted from the exercise while close to the entrance Xander was busy laying into the remaining vampire with his makeshift club. 

"Hey Xander, think fast!" yelled Marcus throwing him a spare stake. Xander reached up and successfully caught the object one handed, pivoting on his right foot as he did so to stake his attacker. They'd won. They'd defended the temple from the vampires and now all Marcus had to do was wait for the alignment and he would finally be rid of this existence and free to explore the myriad possibilities presented to him by its alternative. He glanced down at his watch. Ten seconds to go. He could just picture the night sky above ground right now. Slowly but surely the stars would be shifting into their final positions, one last alignment forming around the previous two in a beautifully synchronised ballet whose performers were millions of miles apart. The first beam ripped down through the holes in the hole in the ground to meet one of the mirrors before bouncing off it to shine upon the dais in the centre of the room. A moment later another beam of light lanced down through the hole in the ceiling to its respective pillar followed shortly by another and another. In less than ten seconds all six pillars were reflecting light down onto the dais, which began to give off an unearthly glow. Tendrils of energy shot down grooves carefully positioned at each corner of the hexagonal dais to lead back to a pillar. As the light met the pillars again, the symbols carved into each began to glow with that same unearthly light. 

"Its beautiful!" gasped Giles. 

"Isn't it just." Smiled Marcus delightedly. Eight hundred years he had waited for this moment. Eight hundred years he had been tormented by the pleasures that those surrounding him took for granted and that he would never achieve. Now he would though. Now he would live as those around him lived and nothing would stop him.

"Uh Giles!" shouted Willow from where she was kneeling on the floor. "I think you'd better get over here."

"What's wrong Willow?" Said the former Watcher, concern spreading across his face.

"It's Buffy!" she cried. "She's dying!"

*****

King stood at the edge of the consecrated water listening intently to the sounds from inside the temple. The last of his vampire servants had disappeared inside a few minutes ago and about half a minute ago everything had gone quiet. He was beginning to get a sinking feeling down in the pit of his stomach. Those pathetic wretches had gone and lost hadn't they. There was a sudden flash of light from the temple entrance that lit up the tunnel like a fireworks celebration. The time had come and no more could be wasted. With a roar of pure rage and frustration his face contorted to that of a vampires feeding frenzy. With a deep breath he stepped down into the water and began to move through it unharmed.

*****

Marcus knelt over Buffy's body and felt despair mounting inside him. Life, he had officially decided, was a bitch. Eight centuries of waiting only to develop what could be called a crush on a young girl who then transpired to get herself into trouble that she could only be saved from by the same thing that could only save him. He let out a long groan and ran a hand through his hair before glancing despairingly at the light.

"Can it heal her?" asked Giles quietly. 

"Yes." Marcus nodded. 

"Then we've got to use it." Said Willow, her face steady as a rock.

"But Willow…" Marcus protested. 

"No buts, ifs or what abouts," said the young witch staring directly at him. "If she doesn't get on that dais then she dies. What happens to you?" 

"You wouldn't understand." He said exasperatedly. "You can't understand."

"Try me." Said Willow defiantly. 

"Uh you guys," said Xander from the entrance where he was staring out into the tunnel, a look of panic beginning to spread across his face. "We did consecrate the water right?"

"Yes." Said Giles. "Why?"

"Well its just that there's one vampire out here who doesn't seem bothered by it." Both Marcus and Giles scrambled up the slope to join him and catch a glimpse of what was going on out in the tunnel.

"King!" muttered Marcus at the sight of the vampire striding purposefully towards them. 

"He looks pissed!" said Xander obviously noticing the snarling face King was wearing. "And why isn't the water hurting him?" 

"Kings origins do predate all symbols of religious significance to Christianity." Said Giles, staring dumbfounded at the sight before him. It stands to reason that having witnessed their origins first hand he won't fear them and therefore won't be hurt by them."

"Could you two save the history lesson!" yelled Willow. "We need to figure out what we're going to do here." Marcus stared at Buffy's prone body and gave a long sad sigh. Eight centuries of waiting all for nothing. Slowly he made his way over to where the Slayer lay and scooped her up in his arms. She groaned slightly as he did so. 

"We're going to do what we set out to do." He said carrying her toward the dais. When he reached the glowing stone hexagon he gently laid Buffy down on top of it. She groaned again as her head met the cold stone. 

"We're going to use it." He whispered and stepped back away from the dais. Slowly unseen forces lifted her into a standing position, her limbs hanging limply at her sides. Suddenly the light from each symbol on the pillars flared brighter as small particles of light began to form around Buffy. With each passing second more and more particles appeared floating peacefully in the air around her. The particles began to pack more densely together as they were slowly dragged down into Buffy's chest forming a large glowing orb. Marcus and the others watched fascinated by the spectacle unfolding before them as the orb began to grow brighter and brighter until it was so glaringly bright it hurt to look directly at it. For a brief moment nothing happened then suddenly the orb of light burst like a balloon and a huge beam shot upwards from the dais with Buffy at its centre being lifted by the energies surrounding her. 

"No!" came a low guttural snarl from the entrance to the temple. Marcus whipped around so fast it was as if he had simply materialised facing the opposite direction. King was stood there staring straight past them at the beam of light. Slowly his eyes left the beam and fell upon Marcus. 

"You!" he hissed. "You did this didn't you." Marcus stared back defiantly at him. 

"You son of a bitch!" King roared and hurled himself down on top of the stunned Reaver. At first Marcus was shocked but he quickly recovered. As the enraged vampire slammed into him he rolled with the force of the blow. Dropping down onto his back he braced his feet against Kings chest and used them as leverage to send his opponent sailing overhead. As King flew across the chamber, Marcus backward rolled up onto one knee twisting as he did so and at the same time pulling a stake loose. In the same flowing motion he brought his arm back and threw the wooden spike across the chamber. King landed perfectly on his feet but there was no way that he could avoid that stake now. Marcus smiled. He never thought it would be so easy to dispatch this one. His smile disappeared as King shifted his position so quickly he was little more than a blur. He even had to blink to make sure he wasn't seeing things. When he opened his eyes again King was stood slightly differently. He was leaning slightly to the right his left arm lifted creating an arch so that where his heart would have been a mere moment earlier there was now only thin air. His right arm was bent round and holding the rear end of the stake in the gap beneath his raised left. 

"Nice throw." He said as he straightened. "But then it would have to be coming from you wouldn't it. After all, you don't have the nerves to interfere. No cramps, no unexpected twitches, just perfect practised motion." He held out his left hand in front of him. It began to tremble.

"Do you know what it's like Reaver," he spat, "to have your muscles go into spasm? To have your whole body shaking so violently you think your eyes are going to fall out? To be so wracked with pain you can barely find the breath to scream? I do." He snatched the quivering arm back to his side and raised the other, which held the stake.

"And it's all thanks to you." His arm snapped forward sending the stake sailing straight back at Marcus. The wooden object plunged perfectly into his heart. The pain was incredible. He'd never felt so vibrant and alive as in that moment. It burned intensely as his dulled nerves cried out in agony. A look of surprise spread across his face as he tumbled back to the ground. Through his blurring vision Marcus watched as King began to stride purposefully toward him. Suddenly Xander had leapt onto his back and was pounding ineffectually at him. King merely backhanded the young man sending him sprawling on the tiles. Giles tried as well, dashing forward with a stake in his hand. Kings arm flashed out gripping the librarian by the face then pushing him away so hard he that he was sent flying into the chamber wall. Then the vampire was standing over him. 

"Do you want to scream yet?" hissed King. He paused for a moment. "No?" a dark smile spread across his face. 

"Then let's make you." He raised his foot slowly into the air and pressed it down hard on the back of the stake, pushing it deeper into his chest. Marcus screamed.

*****

The light around her was so intense Buffy felt overwhelmed by it. It assaulted her every sense, coursing through her body, making her blood boil as it burned her injuries away. Her back arched as a fresh surge of energy swept through her and she gasped when another quickly followed it. Then suddenly the light was gone and she was falling. She hit the dais almost immediately and lay still for a moment breathing heavily. The last few things she could remember were hazy and indistinct. She closed her eyes and concentrated hard. She'd been in Giles' house. Why had she been there? Fighting! She'd been fighting. With who? She'd been fighting with King. She'd been fighting King and he had… Gingerly she reached up and touched her neck where he had bitten her. There was nothing. Not even a scar. Just smooth skin under her fingers. A loud scream of pure agony echoed loudly around her. Her eyes flashed open and she leapt to her feet feeling a strange sense of vitality in her. It was like she'd just woken up from a really long refreshing sleep. The moment she was on her feet she took stock of the situation. Willow was helping Xander, who was nursing a bloody nose, to his feet while Giles lay unconscious against one of the temple walls. Nearby King had Marcus on the floor and appeared to be standing on his chest with one foot. It reminded her of one of those pictures where the brave explorer stands heroically with his nations flag freshly planted at his side. Only trouble was King was no hero. The vampire pressed hard with his foot and Marcus screamed again. 

"Xander!" Buffy whispered. He turned to look at her, his eyes widening when he caught sight of her.

"Muffy!" he mumbled stunned still clutching at his streaming nose. "Mou're malive!"

"You noticed that huh." She said sarcastically. "Now listen, take Giles and get out of here now."

"But what about you?" protested Willow. 

"I'll be fine but you guys need to leave. Xander, remember our little plan." Still clutching his bleeding nose, Xander nodded.

"Good." Said Buffy. "When I shout, you trigger them, okay?" Xander frowned slightly then sighed and nodded again.

"Okay, we're clear. Now get Giles and go!" she snapped. As Willow and Xander struggled with the weight of their librarian friend Buffy strode right up behind King who was still grinding his foot against Marcus and tapped him on the shoulder. 

"Excuse me." She smiled as he turned around. "Could you tell me the way to getting your butt kicked." Her fist lashed out, catching the surprised vampire squarely across the cheek. As he tumbled sideways away from Marcus she followed up as quickly as she could. Her punches came thick and fast, pounding him so that he never had chance to block or defend against her. Slowly but surely she forced him across the chamber, her fists flying madly, until he was backed up against the wall where she continued to lay into him. 

"Oh c'mon King," she taunted as she delivered a powerful blow to his head. "I thought you were meant to be good," she laughed. "I even heard you were better than me!" Suddenly her left arm was caught in his vice like grip. She'd never even seen him move!

"I've got news for you Slayer." He growled as he caught her other arm and yanked them up to head height, twisting them viciously as he did so.

"I am." His head flew forwards and their skulls collided with a resounding crack. Buffy stumbled backwards, stunned by the force of the head butt. King didn't waste time as he moved forward, his first blow as fast as lightning and caught her in the stomach. As she doubled over he brought his knee up catching her in the forehead. Buffy's world span as her head snapped back from the force of the impact and she could swear there were now three of him stood before her. A foot shot out catching her squarely in the chest and sent her flying backwards across the room. By an amazing stroke of luck rather than skill she managed to land on her feet but he was already right behind her. He moved so fast it was unreal. Every move she tried to make was always too late and he was usually on her blindside before the blow could even connect. Futilely she tried to block a punch to the head, which was easily knocked aside before he planted an elbow in her ribs that knocked the breath out of her. As she collapsed to all fours gasping for breath he crouched down beside her. 

"You know it's funny." He said. "All my life I've tried avoiding you Slayers. I convinced myself it was in the best interests of my own survival to steer clear of you. And now that essentially my life is over, I find that there really was never anything to be worried about. You Slayer, are just like the rest of your miserable race. Sheep. That is all that you are.Or can you prove me wrong?" He stood up and stepped back from her. He held his arms firmly at his side and lifted his chin proudly. 

"A free shot Slayer." He said. "I hope you're good enough to kill me in one because that is all you're getting." Coughing violently Buffy clambered to her feet. One shot. She just hoped it was strong enough to take his head off. Unlikely but that was neither here nor there. Summoning all her strength she threw it into a roundhouse. The kick was perfect catching King squarely in the side of the head with such force a normal vampire would have had his neck snapped. King barely even flinched. He began to laugh. It wasn't a nice sound.

"Is that it!" he said sounding astonished. He leapt into his own roundhouse that knocked Buffy back to the ground. She scrambled back onto her hands and knees, desperately trying to think of something to do. Then she saw the glint of metal and grinned.

"Is that really the best you're capable of?" he laughed even harder. 

"No." snarled Buffy as she wrenched the old drainage pipe free from the crack in the wall. "This is!" In one smooth motion she stood and turned swinging the pipe out in a wide uppercut as she went. The pipe thudded dully against his chin sending him flying backwards into one of the pillars. His head slammed against it and he slid to the floor, out for the count. Buffy didn't waste any more time. She sprinted across the chamber to where Marcus lay with a stake jutting from his heart. Amazingly he was still alive. Perhaps even more amazingly he was still conscious. 

"C'mon Marcus," she said trying to lift him. "It's time to go." Behind them King was already beginning to stir. 

"Leave me Buffy," he groaned. "There's nothing left for me now."

"I'm not really sure what you mean but you're crazy if you think I'm leaving you down here. Now come on. We're leaving." Slipping one of his arms around her shoulder and helping support him she began to make for the entrance to the temple. King groaned and began to open his eyes. As they reached the entrance Buffy yelled into the tunnel.

"Xander, now!" The freshly acquired military issue explosives worked a treat. The explosions behind them shook the entire tunnel, bringing dust tumbling down into the water. Summoning all her courage Buffy dived headfirst into the putrid sewer waters with Marcus in tow as a ten-foot column of flame roared out of the temple entrance before subsiding. For moments that seemed to drag on for hours the surface of the water was still before Buffy broke it. The moment she surfaced she began gasping in great lungfuls of air. Slowly she clambered to her feet in the rank sewage and began to stride off to the end of the tunnel with the now unconscious body of Marcus in tow. Just before she reached the end of the tunnel she turned and glanced back at the temple. The entrance was gone. In its place were dozens of boulders of rubble and huge slabs of concrete that had collapsed from the roof above. Inside was probably even worse, after all, Xander had planted the explosives all the way around the temple. If he'd done as instructed he would have even placed one on each pillar. She smiled at the thought. The temple was gone, well and truly buried. And so, she hoped, was King.


	10. The Debt

Part Nine

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

INNER LIGHT

Part Nine

The Debt

Marcus' head swam as his mind slowly began to awaken from the fog that had engulfed it. So that was unconsciousness. It had been rather pleasant actually. He groaned groggily and opened his eyes. He was staring at a ceiling. The pain was still excruciating surprisingly enough but he could feel it subsiding. Slowly he tried to sit up then decided maybe sitting up wasn't such a good idea as fresh wave of pain shot through him. It was the first time he had really experienced such intense physical agony and although it was intriguing he had no desire to prolong this little exercise. 

"Try not to move." Came a voice he recognised all too well. 

"Buffy?" he moaned as the room began to spin from the fresh pain.

"Yes?" she said.

"Where am I?" 

"Giles' bedroom. It's the only private place we could bring you." 

"Did we win." 

"Sure did." Came her disembodied voice.

"That's good." He said. Strangely enough he was telling the truth. The last thing he had expected when placing Buffy on that dais was that he wouldn't find himself regretting it. In a long existence full of regrets it came as something of a refreshing change. This certainly was a day of firsts.

"What about King?" he asked. 

"Trapped in what's left of the temple." She said happily. There was a brief pause. "What are you?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Marcus said, a little taken aback.

"I mean what are you? A stake through the heart will kill a vampire. It could even kill a person. From what I see you were impaled on one and it still didn't kill you. In fact the wound is already beginning to close. So I ask again. What are you?"

"It's a long story Buffy." Marcus coughed. "And it is a private matter that I do not discuss." 

"I think you owe me a little explanation after everything we've just been through. So c'mon Marcus. What's the dirt on you and you're past."

"Please Buffy," he begged softly, "That is my business and I do not wish to talk about it." He heard her sigh. 

"I thought after all this I might get some answers about you." She paused then spoke again, sounding disappointed. "I guess I was wrong." The sound of receding footsteps made Marcus think. Could he trust her with his past? When he was a child his true nature had been discovered. Believing him to be a creation of the devil his mother had been stoned to death for being a heretic and he had been driven from his home by an angry mob. Since then he had kept what he was secret from the world out of fear of what would happen. But these were better times than the ones he had kept a secret from and Buffy was a good woman. She had risked so much to help him, even her own life. Didn't he at least owe her this one thing? The sound of the bedroom door creaking open jolted him from his thoughts.

"Buffy." He said. 

"What now?" she said sounding annoyed with him.

"A long time ago there was a woman." He said. "All she wanted from life was a son. When a witch came to her home the woman angered her. The witch cursed this woman saying she would never have her hearts desire. Neither the witch nor this woman knew that the woman was with child. The unborn baby died in the womb but for a reason no one could understand the child continued to grow. It was born sometime later, a dead child that grew like the living around it. The boy existed for many years never knowing how different he was to those around him until he was one day trampled on by an angry horse. Any normal person would have been crippled or even killed by the animal, but the boy was walking again within hours. Fearful of a thing they did not understand the people he lived among declared him a spawn of the devil and stoned both the child and his mother. The mother died but the boy was already dead. The stones did not hurt him and when his former friends realised this they cast him from their home never to return. I've spent my entire existence since that day wandering the world, looking for a way to regain the life I never had."

"You're telling me you're immortal?" said Buffy.

"Not exactly." He said. "Immortal implies that I cannot die which simply isn't true as I already have done." 

"So that's why you wanted the temple. Why did you want to live again? There are people who would risk their souls to have what you have. Believe me, I know some of them."

"I wanted to live so that I could die again Buffy." Marcus sighed. "I have existed for eight hundred years, and I can remember each and every moment of those years as clearly as if it was happening right now. You have no idea how exhausting it is. I long to forget things, to take delight in the food I eat, to feel the rush of adrenaline on a roller coaster and to know that one day it could all end. You take so much for granted Buffy but in doing so you forget the very things that make people so special."

"Maybe," said Buffy thoughtfully "you should stop thinking about what you don't have and start thinking about what you do have. Life isn't all about tasting a cheeseburger and forgetting what you spent last weekend doing. There's more to it than that. Give living a shot sometime then call me." He couldn't see her but he was sure she was smiling. "I'll still be here."

*****

Buffy backed into the door to Giles' room, pushing it open with her backside while carrying a big tray of freshly prepared food. Even dead guys would like to eat in the morning, especially after being stabbed through the heart by a sharp chunk of wood. Marcus' tale had been something she hadn't expected but she felt a little happier knowing about it. It actually answered quite a lot of questions like why his blood was poisonous to vampires. It was basically the same as food poisoning, just slightly more severe. Kind of like taking a bite out of an eight hundred year old chunk of meat. That train of thought was actually quite disgusting so she decided to leave it by the way side. There was a bright side to all the events of the past few days though. At least she had got up on time for once.

"Wakey, wakey," she crooned as she backed into the room and began to turn as she did so. "It's time for breakfa…" her voice trailed off as she caught sight of the bed. Marcus was gone and from the looks of things he hadn't left in a hurry. The bed was made and a note lay on the pillow. Slowly the Slayer moved across the room and laid the tray down on the bedside table before picking up the note. It read, 'Buffy, when you left last night I did a lot of thinking. I decided maybe you were right. Didn't want to wake you and the others downstairs so I left this note for you. Maybe I'll call by again someday to visit if I ever need tips on living again. Thank you and the others for everything you have done. One last thing, please don't wait around for me, I've got a lot of living to do.' As she read the note Buffy began to smile. 

"Life." She sighed wistfully. 


	11. In The Dark

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

INNER LIGHT

Epilogue

In The Dark

King sat huddled in the corner of the pitch-black chamber, muttering incoherently to himself as his body shook, wracked by the powerful spasms that ripped through him. He'd given up fighting the poison. What was the point when you were going to die anyway? Better to die fast in this place than to sit here and slowly fade away. If it weren't for that slut who called herself the Slayer he wouldn't be trapped down here like a rat in a hole. He would be out in the world, able to at least face death with a little dignity rather than to simply be left for dead down here. It was embarrassing more than anything else. Here he was, a King among vampires, rightly feared by just about any other creature of the night, being forced to live out his last remaining years in some dark dank cave that had once housed his salvation. Such a defeatist attitude normally wasn't his style but there seemed very little he could actually do in this place to save himself. Down here he couldn't even see his hand in front of his face let alone any possible way out. And it was all thanks to her.

"Slayer!" he roared at the roof of the cave in pure fury. A powerful spasm shot through him causing his legs to convulse wildly. 

No matter which direction his thoughts took they always came back to the Slayer. And why shouldn't they? After all she was to blame for his incarceration here. If only he could get his hands around her neck now he would delight in snapping, or even better, choking the life out of her so that he could see the fear in her eyes as she realised what was going to happen. Suddenly he noticed something, a tiny pinprick of light throbbing steadily nearby that cast its eerie glow around the whole chamber. Could it be a way out? 

Slowly he summoned up what little strength he had left to control his spasms and began to crawl shakily across the floor towards the strange light. The nearer he got the more he could tell this wasn't a way out. The light source did not get bigger as he neared it. Then suddenly he recognised it. It was one of the particles of light from the process of revival the temple triggered. It was so small he wasn't sure if it would heal him but what the hell, it was worth a try. Cautiously he reached out with his trembling hand and wrapped his long pale fingers around the small pinprick glow. It seemed to soak into his palm and as it did so the light began to expand and move through him. 

Suddenly the pain hit him, like someone was pouring acid through his veins. He roared in agony and collapsed onto his back his limbs thrashing as the light burned through him, scouring the poison from his veins. He brought his hands up to cover his face and cried out again before the pain began to subside. Slowly his thrashing limbs began to calm themselves and his hands left his face to reveal his true vampire visage staring around the chamber with its feral yellow eyes. He clambered steadily to his feet and held his hand out in front of him. It didn't even twitch. 

"I feel," his lips peeled back into a cruel smile. "Better!"


End file.
